During his routine supervision of the ongoing Nationwide League One (NLO) Under-19 League in the North-West zone, the Chief Exec...
During his routine supervision of the ongoing Nationwide League One (NLO) Under-19 League in the North-West zone, the Chief Executive Officer of the NLO, Alhaji Hassan Garo, made a strong appeal to participating clubs to strictly adhere to the age restrictions of the competition.
On his inspection tour — which included brief visits to the Dawakin Tofa and Dambatta centres on his way to the Kazaure Centre in Jigawa State — the NLO boss cautioned clubs against fielding overaged players.
“Coordinators in all centres across Nigeria have been directed to physically inspect players suspected of being overage, with such players facing immediate expulsion from our ongoing Under-19 League,” he stated.
Speaking to journalists at the Dambatta Centre, Alhaji Garo urged club owners to comply with the Congress resolution that reaffirmed the age bracket of 19 years. He recalled that the resolution was earlier endorsed by the President of the Nigeria Football Federation (NFF), Alhaji Ibrahim Musa Gusau, during the NFF Congress held in Abuja last year.
He stressed the importance of compliance, noting that Nigeria’s age-grade national teams — U-15, U-17, U-20, and U-23 — rely heavily on the NLO for recruitment.
“Contravening this regulation undermines the growth and development of Nigerian football. The NLO Board and Secretariat will go to every length to ensure strict compliance,” he emphasised.
When asked about the progress of the ongoing season, Garo expressed satisfaction:
“From the reports we are receiving nationwide, the league is running smoothly, with great cooperation from clubs, match officials, and other stakeholders. From the centres I have visited, I am particularly encouraged by the massive turnout of fans, who sit in an orderly manner and enjoy the beautiful game.”
He also commended the infrastructural contributions of the Deputy Senate President, Senator Barau I. Jibril (CFR), who built standard stadiums in his constituency. According to him, these facilities are capable of hosting major national football events and now serve as alternatives to the only functional stadium in Kano State — the Sani Abacha Stadium.
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